Coill an Doire

Coill an Doire or Killaderry is a townland of 80 hectares or 197 acres and in the early part of the 20th century, 127 individual fields were mapped in this townland.

It is in the Electoral Division of Castlehaven North, in Civil Parish of Castlehaven and the Roman Catholic Parish of Castlehaven and Myross.

Coill an Doire is bordered by Blúid Thiar (Bluid West) to the east, An Leathardán Beag (Laherdane Beg) to the south, An Leathardán Mór (Laherdane More), An Driseán Beag (Drishanebeg) and An Rosach (Russagh) to the west and An Lisín Rua (Lisheenroe) to the north

OpenStreetmap contributors, with input from the Castlehaven & Myross History Society, have created a detailed townland map including all its minor placenames. Zoom in for further detail.

Etymology

Coill an Doire can be interpreted as either the oak wood or the church of the oak wood. The latter is the interpretation given by Bruno O'Donoghue. Eugene Daly agrees with the latter interpretation in his article in Volume 6 of the Skibbereen and District Historical Society Journal. It is said that traces of an old church can be found on the eastern side of the townland.

History

Evictions: Denis Coughlan and Denis Keating moved to this townland around 1849/1850 when they were expelled from Rea during the infamous evictions of that period. For more detail see the history section from the Bluid West townland.

A tiny sliver of land just to the east of the Tower Lodge allows access to Abisdealy Lake from Killaderry. It is said that this 'panhandle' was to allow Killaderry farmers to have access to water for cattle and other purposes.

There was a school in Killaderry in the period prior to 1830 (this was probably the successor of an earlier hedge school). The name of the teacher was John O'Brien, a Catholic, who earned £13 to £30 per annum Tony McCarthy's article in Vol 16 of the Skibbereen History Society journal described the school as a pay school of about 40 pupils, boys and girls, and as a 'most wretched hovel'. A report on education in the school dated 1826 records that the scriptures were not read in this school. A wall of the school stands to this day.

The road along the southern shore of Abisdealy Lake as constructed sometime around the turn of the 20th century. The original road from Skibbereen to Tragumna was along the northern shore and was constructed by an engineer by the name of Leahy who was also responsible for several other roads in west Cork and south Kerry. It is said that the original road was closed off by the O'Donovan of Liss Ard (Lissard) who wished to keep his estate private.

Housing

As part of Griffiths Valuation in 1853, a survey of house quality was carried out to calculate what rates were due by each household. These were issued in 1850 in the form of house books (Pg 1, Pg 2) and a guide on how to interpret these can be seen here. These show that 13 of the 14 houses in the townland at that time were class 3. This means that they were thatched houses with stone walls with mud or puddle mortar. Seven were described as being old (more than 25 years) but in good repair while five of the others were also old but out of repair. One class 3 house is described as being of medium age, deteriorated and not in perfect repair. There is also one class 1 house in Killaderry at this time which means that it was slated and built with stone or brick and lime mortar - it was described as being medium (not new), but in sound order and good repair. All houses in the townland at this time are between 5 foot (!) and 8 foot tall which indicates that they are single story at this time.

By the 1901 census, there are eleven occupied houses in this townland. Six have walls of mud, wood or other perishable material while the other five have walls of stone, brick or concrete. Five have roofs of wood, slate or tiles while the other six are still thatched. All eleven have either two, three or four rooms. Eight houses have just two windows in front which indicates that they are probably still single storey at this time. One house has three windows and the other two have five windows at the front.

When we advance to the 1911 census there are still eleven occupied houses in this townland and all now have walls of stone, brick or concrete. Seven have roofs of wood, slate or tiles while the other four are still thatched. All eleven have either two, three or four rooms. Seven houses have just two windows in front. One house has three windows, one has four and the other two have five windows at the front.

Places of Interest

Lios: There is a very well preserved ringfort (lios) that can be seen close to the eastern boundary with Lisheenroe.. A ringfort is a circular fortified settlement that were mainly built during the Bronze age up to about the year 1000.

Tower Lodge: The Tower Lodge which is to this day a prominent landmark on the road between Tragumna and the Lake Cross sits on the boundary between Killaderry (in Castlehaven parish) and Drishane Beg (in Skibbereen parish).

Lough Abisdealy: Part of this lake is in this townland. The origin of its name is not known. It is a source of water for a wide area of West Cork. According to Lankford, it was also known locally as Donovan's lake

The ringfort and tower lodge listed above are mapped on the Historic Environment Viewer

Interesting Placenames

Besides the places named above we have mapped the follow field-names in this townland: Páirc Bheag (small field), Móin Álainn (perhaps can be interpreted as the lovely bog. - possibly shortened from Páírc na Móna Ailigh (field of the rocky bog)) and Páírc an Lodge (translates as the field of the lodge - four fields had the same name. - now one field).

If you want to see the actual location of any of these, go to detailed townland map on Open Street Maps. If you know any other field names or placenames in this townland (or if you need to correct any or give further background information), please contact us at [email protected]

Folklore

Bull: There is a story in the School's Collection that talks about the evictions in Rea and Bawnagollopy in famine times when over 80 people were driven out on the road. The new settlers were Browne and Seabourne. The latter prevented local people from picking brosna (sticks) on his land and he let loose a very angry bull to deter them. One night a local called Crowley went out with a stout ash plant, caught hold of the bull's tail, thrashed him right and left and drove him west across Bluid with both man and animal racing until they reached the Caol ravine in Kilderry where the bull fell headlong down and was killed. This place has been known since as Poll a' Tairbh (the hole of the bull).

Families and Notable Residents

The Tithe Applotment books of 1825 list the following family names: Greany, Greany, Bohane, Minihane, Bohane, Beamish, Camha (?), Leahy

Griffiths Valuation of 1853 lists the following family names: Driscoll, Leahy, Buhin (Bohane), Buhin, Geary, Coghlan, Keating, Buhin, Buhin, Minaghan

The Census of Ireland of 1901 lists the following family names: Brien, Donovan, Sullivan, Driscoll, Bohane, Bohane, Bohane, Coughlan, Bohane, Bohane, McCarthy

The Census of Ireland of 1911 lists the following family names: Sullivan, Brien, Sullivan, Driscoll (with Keating (father-in-law)), Bohane, Coughlan, Bohane, Bohane, Bohane, McCarthy, Bohane

Note: the term 'with' refers to a person or persons of a different family name staying in the house. This may have been an in-law or other relative, a guest, or a farm labourer/housekeeper or domestic servant.

Demographics and Landholding

		*Occupiers	Population	Change	Link to record
1825	Tithe Applotment	8	48 (est)		1825
1841	Census of Ireland	17	106
1851	Census of Ireland	14	78
1853	Griffith's Valuation	14 (Incl. 4 unoccupied)	70 (est)		1853
1861	Census of Ireland	12	66
1871	Census of Ireland	14	85
1881	Census of Ireland	11	74
1891	Census of Ireland	11	58
1901	Census of Ireland	11	54		1901
1911	Census of Ireland	11	52		1911

*Occupiers generally equate to households having a house and land but may also include households having houses but no land.

Between 1656 and 1658 the Down Survey mapped all areas of the country to track ownership of land after much had been granted to followers of Cromwell after the war of the 1650's. The most prominent proprietors (titulados) of this townland at that time was Cormack McPhelim. This townland was called Killderry at that time.

The proprietor of this townland in 1841 was Colonel John Townsend of Castletownshend and his agent was Charles Clarke of Skibbereen. It was all held by tenants with half under lease by Gerry Beamish of Lisheenroe and sub-let without lease.

In 1841, the soil was described as a mixture of coarse and arable, with the arable producing light crops of wheat, oats, barley and potatoes with a little flax.